But during the summer, FCPS staff will be preparing for the next year.
Frederick, Md (KM) It’s something that many kids have been waiting for: summer vacation starts after Friday, June 15th for Frederick County Public School students. But even though students will be enjoying their summer, it’s no vacation for the school system.
Spokesman Michael Doerrer says crews will be getting the buildings ready for the first day of classes on September 4th, 2018. “In the school building itself, we have maintenance and facilities crews working not only on rejuvenating the building, getting ready for the next school year, but often there are major projects that have to be done in buildings. Obviously, you can’t do some of the things that you need to do while students are there. So we take advantage of the summer time when the buildings are a little quieter without students,” he says.
Some of those tasks include redoing gymnasiums and cafeterias, and getting media centers ready for students, says Doerrer.
Doerrer also says administrative staff are preparing schedules for students.
Despite the fact that teachers are usually not in the classrooms, Doerrer says they’re not idle during the summer. “We have many teachers busy during the summer writing curriculum, getting ready for the next school year,” he says. “So every summer we’re busily working, reviewing the curriculum we have for our students, making updates , preparing training for teachers.’
He also says a number of teachers also “burnish their own professional skills. A lot of teachers use the summer to engage in professional learning activities and do other things that prepare for the return to school,.
Teachers are scheduled to report to their schools in late August.
Studies have shown that during the summer, students forget much of what they learned while in classes. “So on our website, FCPS.org, we have resources for parents that they can use to help keep their kids engaged during the summer to help prevent some of that backslide when students are out of school to keep their skills strong. So that when they return to school on Tuesday, September 4th, they really are ready to hit the ground running and to continue with their learning.”
By Kevin McManus